Botary gas-engine



M. WALKOS.

ROTARY GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31.1911.

1,3 1 0,459., Patented July 22, 1919.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY INVENTOR- MICHAEL WALKOS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY GAS-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1919.

Application filed July 31, 1917. Serial No. 183,723.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Mroimni. lVALKos, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary gas engines of the internal combustion type, the object in view being to produce a light weight high powered engine which may be operated economically and which involves a minimum number of simple parts thus effecting a saving in the cost of manufacture and maintenance and adapting the engine to various places where light weight motors are of importance, such as in the propulsion of air craft, automobiles and speed boats.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a. vertical longitudinal section through the improved engine.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

The engine contemplated in this invention comprises a rotor 1 and a rotor casing 2 which is diametrically divided as shown, the sections of the casing being flanged and secured .tightly together by fastening means 3. The casing is shown as supported by a suitable hanger or sub-frame 4 having oppositely extending end portions 5 adapting the engine to be supported on a suitable frame (not shown).

The rotor 1 is fastened to a rotary shaft 6 which is journaled in bearings 7 carried by the oppositely located and substantially parallel heads 8 of the casing 2. In its periphery, the rotor 1 is formed with an annular series of pockets or depressions 9 against the walls of which the expanding mixture acts as it rushes from the combustion chamber into the expansion chamber hereinafter referred to.

The casing 2 is formed with an extension 10 suitably chambered to receive an inlet valve 11, a compression valve 12, and an outlet valve 13, which leads to the expansion chamber 14, 15 designates a compressing cylinder in which operates a compressing piston 16 coupled by means of a connecting rod 17 to a crank shaft 18. The shaft 18 is journaled in bearings carried by the casing 2 and is driven by a silent chain 19 which passes around a sprocket wheel 20 on the engine shaft 6 and around another sprocket wheel 21 on said crank shaft 18. The piston 16 operates in its suction stroke to draw a charge of the explosive mixture into the cylinder 15 and upon the return stroke thereof said charge is compressed between the inlet valve 11 and the compressing valve 12, at which time the valve 11 is closed as is also the valve 12. Between the valves 12 and 13 there is an explosion or combustion chamber 22 into which extends a spark plug 23. The mixture compressed in the compressing chamber 21 between the valves 11 and 12 is released by the opening of the valve 12 and rushes into the combustion chamber 22 where it is trapped between the valves 12 and 13 until a spark occurs at the plug 23. Just as the mixture is ignited, the valve 13 begins to open leaving only a small velocity increasing orifice through which the expanding gas rushes, entering the expansion chamber 14 where it acts against the walls of the pockets 19, imparting motion to the rotor 1. The expanding gas continues around the periphery of the rotor and enters an exhaust space or cavity 25 from which it escapes to the atmosphere or is directed into a suitable muffler, not shown. The shaft 26 of the inlet valve 11 is driven by means of gears 27 and 28, a countershaft 29 and gears 30 and 31 as shown in Fig. 2. The shaft 32 of the valve 12 is driven by sprocket wheels and a silent chain 33, and a shaft 34 is driven from the shaft 32 by means of sprocket Wheels and a silent chain 35. Of course the several valves and the gears are so proportioned and designed that the several valves will be driven at the proper speed and properly timed to perform their functions at predetermined intervals.

In view of the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will now be seen that the force of the explosions is directed against the periphery of the rotor at a considerable distance from the axis of the rotor shaft 6. This results in maximum power for an engine of a given size or diameter of rotor. Provision is also made for an eflicient compression of the charges before they are delivered to the combustion chamber. This results in powerful explosions and impulses. All of the valves, as well as the compressing piston, are driven In a rotary internal combustion engine,

the'combinal ion of a rotor, a casing in which said rotor is mounted, a rotary shaft on which said rotor is mounted, a compressing cylinder having a fixed and substantially,

tangential relation to the rotor casing, a compressing piston operating in said cylinder, a c ank shaft operatively geared in par allel relation to the rotor shaft and having said compressing piston coupled thereto and 15 driven thereby, a combustion chamber arranged to receive the compressed charges from said cylinder, an expansion chamber arranged to receive the expanding mixture at the time of the ignition thereof in the 20 combustion chamber, a positively driven rotary valve between the compression and combnstion chambers, a positively driven rotary valve between the combustion and expansion chambers, and valve operating connections 25 actuated by said crank shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MICHAEL WALKOS. 

